Under a Dying Sun
by aquafina rain
Summary: An eclipse is just a figment; shadows are what bring the darkness. When confronted with the future, some choose to run - but nothing can escape the past. The dark side of the moon is colder than they think. RWXSM


_First story, chapter one:_  
The air was still.

Usagi paused in the middle of turning the page of her manga when the oddest feeling struck her. She didn't have a connection to the Earth like her husband and children did, but she had sensations. They were usually like small pin pricks, poking at her, ancient and old.

She set down the manga and made her way to the window. Mamoru had pulled back the curtains earlier; he knew that if he left them closed, she would sleep all day. Usagi picked at the latch before she managed to nudge the window open. A small breeze swept against her fingertips.

"Maybe I'm just losing it," she murmured, and then the pin pricks became a hammering against her skill.

Something was coming. Usagi struggled to catch her breath as she clutched at the edge of the window. She felt as if a hand had grabbed her heart. Even though it lasted for only seconds, the pain was almost unbearable. She looked outside the window, where the sun was barely gleaming behind the clouds.

The moment passed and she took a breath, but a chill ran down her spine. That something was here. She took another deep breath and swallowed her fears. Resolute, Usagi turned to the nearest drawer. She rummaged through it, pulling out files and folders before grabbing a hold of her old brooch. It was heavy in her palms, yet at the same time light.

"Usagi."

"Luna, I'm going." She smiled at her companion, stooping down to run her fingers through her fur quickly. Luna nodded, though her expression was grim.

"I'll call Makoto."

"Thanks."

And then another spike hit her, causing her to double over. She grimaced, clutching onto a leg of the dresser before it passed. Luna pawed at her. "Usagi, what—"

"I'm fine," Usagi said, wiping her eyes. She got to her feet, her mind made up. The door to the bathroom flew open and Mamoru rushed out. His face was still twisted in pain; her eyes watered again, knowing that it probably hurt a hundred times worse for him. "Mamo-chan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but Usako—"

"I'll go. Watch the kids."

Mamoru, face still smothered in shaving cream, didn't have time to protest as his wife ran out the door. Kousagi chose right at that moment to start crying. Cursing to himself, he wiped his face with a towel before hurrying to the bedroom. He picked his youngest daughter up, cradling her in his arms as his gaze slowly trailed out the window. Something cold grazed the edge of his mind.

"Be careful, Usako," he murmured before rocking Kousagi back to sleep.

x

"The hell is this thing?"

Shuu, ever so eloquent, landed with a thud beside Seiji. The bearer of Kourin was on one knee, attempting to catch his breath. It was unusual to see Seiji so rustled, even in battle. Shuu turned his attention back to the large bird flying above them.

The bird tilted its beak downwards and started plummeting to the ground. With an upward sweep of his tetsubo, Shuu lifted the surrounding earth. A crater quickly collapsed in front of them while chunks of earth swept through the sky, forming a makeshift barrier. Seiji swung his nodachi up into the air, focusing.

The bird fell right into the crater with a crash. Shuu's makeshift barrier immediately crumbled back down to earth. "Seiji, now!"

"Rai ko zan!"

Shuu felt his breath leave him. The bird shot right up, dodging the bolt of lightning. Seiji wiped his brow, grimacing. He had actually put a bit of effort in that one; he had assumed that with such a massive size, the bird was slow.

"It's like a freaking Moltres," Shuu grumbled. The bird slowly settled back down into the now-smoking crater, looking almost complacent. "Got any Master Balls?"

"What?" Seiji responded, not even trying to understand his joke. Shuu shook his head, focusing back on the bird. It had appeared out of nowhere, flying low over the city, breathing fire onto the ground. The police had attempted to contain the unworldly being; before they could put themselves in harm's way, Seiji had appeared, chasing the bird to an isolated field.

Shuu currently gritted his teeth—then his eyebrows shot up as the smoke cleared. Some girl dressed as Sailor Moon was standing at the edge of the crater, right in front of the bird.

"Dude, civilian," he hissed. Seiji nodded quickly, springing forward. It was usually up to Shin to take care of coercing people into running for safety—but Shin was halfway across the country, at peace on the shores of Hagi. And whenever Shin and his pretty blue eyes weren't there to convince a frightened citizen to take cover, there was Seiji, with his serious gaze and disarming smile.

Seiji, however, despised being demoted to pretty boy.

"Excuse me, miss," Seiji said, hand at his helmet to make sure that his hair fell over his eyes just right. The last time he'd played Super Hero, both of his eyes had been visible and the civilians actually started crying. "Miss—"

The girl jumped at the sound of his voice before she whirled around. At once she looked frantic. "Oh shoot," she said, slightly flailing. "Listen, sir, it's really dangerous. You need to get to safety."

Seiji actually blinked. "Pardon—"

He cut himself off as he threw his arms around the girl's waist and jumped off to the side. The area they had been previously standing in resembled an inferno; flames scorched the ground, searing the sky. The girl's eyes widened as she gave him another glance, this one even more alarmed. "Who are you?"

"There's no time for that," Seiji said. He got up, offering her his hand; she grasped it and pulled herself up. "Are you hurt?"

She said nothing, staring at him for a moment. Seiji sighed inaudibly.

"Miss—"

"I think if we team up, we can beat him," she interrupted. It was Seiji's turn to stare. Was this girl some kind of pseudo-super hero? His thoughts were interrupted when the earth below them started rumbling. He shot Shuu an annoyed glance; the bearer of Kongo ignored this, continued to charge up his sure-kill.

"We need to get out of here," Seiji repeated. The girl, however, stood her ground, gaping.

"Is he—is _he_ doing that?!"

"Miss," Seiji tried for the umpteenth time, only to be refuted with a hand at his face.

"Hang on, just a second, I _have_ to watch this," she said, eyes still wide. She turned to him suddenly, brow creased. "Should I duck?"

"Gan tessai!"

It was only by instinct did Seiji grab the girl and pull her down. She squawked under him, her hands clutching at the shoulder of his armor as she tried to look at the scene. Shuu's _gan tessai_ split the ground open, rattling the structures around them. Seiji glanced over his shoulder to see Shuu directing the surekill to where the giant bird had nestled in a tree.

The bird looked over at them lazily before taking flight once more. The tree splintered into a million tiny pieces. Shuu cursed.

"Holy—incredible moley," the girl said, staring at the chunks of earth that had been uprooted. "That's—that's nuts."

Seiji pulled her to her feet as Shuu regrouped with them. "You need to go."

"What?" It was as if she was hearing his warnings for the first time. She blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

"It's coming back," Shuu warned suddenly, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back. Unexpectedly, she yanked her arm away. "What are you—"

He fell into a flabbergasted silence as Sailor Moon grabbed the tiara from her forehead. It started glowing in her hands as she took aim.

"Moon tiara action!"

"I'll be damned," Shuu muttered as the golden disc flew from her hands and straight at the bird. She was the real thing. The bird ducked its head and the tiara missed it by mere centimeters; it lifted its head back to stare at them. Shuu almost thought it was looking back at them with disdain.

The tiara rebounded back to Sailor Moon's waiting hands. She clenched her fist. "What do we do?"

"We?" Seiji was a bit perturbed. Sailor Moon didn't even look at him, her eyes fixed on the bird.

"I mean, we don't have a plan, do we?"

At their silence, she turned to them. Seiji was frowning. "It would ease my mind, miss, if you would get to safety."

"Huh?" Sailor Moon glanced at him, taken aback. "_Me_?"

"You're—a liability," he said, feeling awkward, especially when her cheeks puffed out. "I don't mean that offensively, ma'am—"

"If I'm a liability, then you're even worse!" she said. Before Seiji could reply, however, the beast took flight.

"Guys!" Shuu said sharply, interrupting their spat. He crouched low to the ground, tetsubo over his shoulders. Seiji also went into a similar defensive pose; Sailor Moon, however, went very still.

The bird flapped its glorious wings, soaring higher into the sky. The three of them watched, squinting against the cold sun, as its silhouette slowly took cover in the sky. For a moment, Shuu thought the bird looked like another sun. It was bright enough that its vermillion feathers casted a pink shadow against the clouds; then, as he blinked, the bird disappeared.

"It's gone," he said, glancing at the other two. Seiji concentrated for a moment before he nodded in affirmation.

"Its presence has disappeared."

"Damn thing."

Shuu let out a long sigh. He took off his helmet to wipe at the cut hidden under his hair. Seiji gave him a sideways look. "You're hurt?"

"Nothing too bad."

The two of them fell quiet, taking the time to study Sailor Moon. She was younger than they expected, and sillier-looking than the movies depicted. The tiara lay limp in her gloved fingers as she closed her watery eyes. "Not again," she murmured, and the image was such a contrast from the indignant girl from before that Seiji found himself frowning again.

"You've met that thing before?" Shuu asked.

"No!" She opened her eyes, wiping her tears quickly. "No, I didn't mean that. Just—the feeling. I felt something. And it's—"

She cut herself off once she realized the two of them were looking at her apprehensively. Sailor Moon gave a shaky smile.

"I'm not crazy, really."

"Right," Shuu said, quickly pretending that he hadn't been making the universal sign for 'she's nuts' at Seiji. "'course not. So, what's your name?"

"Sailor Moon," she responded. It seemed as if she left out the _duh_ for courtesy purposes. "What about you guys?"

"Shuu Reifuan," Shuu said bluntly, not caring for pseudonyms. Seiji almost grimaced; it was as if his friend was inviting reporters to come knocking at his door. Sailor Moon, however, blinked a few times.

"Shuu Rei—oh, you're that restaurant owner."

Seiji raised his eyebrows, giving Shuu a slight glance. Shuu actually looked embarrassed. "Yeah, that's—"

"I saw it in my friend's GQ," Sailor Moon continued, eyes glancing over him in appreciation. "The year's second most eligible bachelor in Japan, right? Man, who would have thought? You really are handsome though, better than that magazine spread."

"Oh, well," Shuu said dumbly, wondering if they were being tricked. She _was_ the real Sailor Moon, right?

"Oh, I'm not hitting on you, by the way," Sailor Moon said with a wink. She took off her glove and brandished her left hand, where a diamond ring sat on her finger. "I'm married."

"Congratulations," Seiji said faintly. He was starting to regret ever being in Tokyo in the first place. If only he was the one tending to family business and not Shin...

"Two kids," Sailor Moon added. "They're brats."

"Oh," Shuu said, for a lack of anything better to say.

"So have you guys eaten yet?"

Shuu and Seiji both blinked at the sudden question. "Well, no," Shuu said with a shrug. "We were on our way to brunch."

"Oh, great!" A smile bloomed across her face as she clasped her hands together. "We can all go back to my apartment and figure out what to do. I'll have to get in contact with the other girls somehow, but I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Other girls?" Seiji had to ask. Sailor Moon bobbed her head up and down.

"Yeah, the other Sailor Senshi."

Before anyone could respond, a shadow fell over them. Seiji grabbed Sailor Moon's arm and yanked her out of the way, just as a figure crashed onto the cement right next to them. The dust in the air flew in all directions. Shuu rubbed his eyes, swearing and swinging his tetsubo out. Sailor Moon, however, greeted the newcomer.

"Jupiter!"

"Hey," Sailor Jupiter said a bit breathlessly, blinking up at them once the dust settled. "Am I too late?"

"No, no," Sailor Moon said, grabbing her companion by the arm and helping her up. Seiji blinked as the newcomer straightened up to her full height. Well, he hadn't been expecting _that_. "Actually, have you eaten yet? We can go back to my place for brunch."

Jupiter brushed off her skirt, glancing at the two men. She didn't bother to hide her curiosity, especially when her face fell on Shuu's. Not for the first time, Shuu regretted doing that spread for GQ. Then she turned back to Sailor Moon with a slight smile. "New friends?"

"Yeah, they're super strong," Sailor Moon said. "No wonder they were able to save Shinjuku that one time."

"You guys know about that?" Shuu interjected. Seiji felt himself grow wary. No one remembered Shinjuku. Sure, they were Sailor Senshi, but still...

"We forgot for awhile, but it all came back to us," Sailor Moon said, glancing at Jupiter for confirmation. Jupiter, however, crossed her arms and pouted slightly.

"Man, I wish _I_ had some help," she grumbled. Her eyes met her friend's and she gave a wan smile. "There was a turtle attacking east of here. I was busy with trying to get it out of the city that I didn't even realize my communicator was going off. That's why I was so late."

"A turtle?" Shuu echoed. "What do you mean?"

Jupiter glanced up, trying to find the right words. "Oh, just—a really big turtle. It had one hell of a shell, though, none of my attacks could get it. I had to just get up under its throat and punch it, and then it ran away."

"You took it on your own?" Seiji stared. Shuu stared even harder. Jupiter actually blushed.

"Well, like I said, it ran away. I didn't do that much to it."

"Hey, hey, can we talk about that later?" Sailor Moon asked, waving her hands in front of them to get their attention. "My place?"

"Husband won't mind?" Jupiter asked with raised eyebrows.

"He's cooking, duh." Sailor Moon beamed. She motioned towards Shuu and Seiji, who, for the most part, tried not to look too terribly confused. "It's not too far from here, actually. You guys ready?"

"Lead the way," Shuu said, trying not to think about how he really felt following after two girls in miniskirts. Seiji, again, wondered why Shin wasn't here. He would have never been caught in a situation like this.

x

"Hello?"

The voice somehow managed to reach Shin in the back room. He quickly loaded the rest of his mother's new works into the kiln before hurrying back out front. It was odd to actually get a customer so early in the morning on a Sunday. Then again, tourist season was starting up again soon...

Shin smiled at the young woman who lingered by the doorway. Definitely a tourist, he thought. Most of the girls in town were down-to-earth and preferred simple styles compared to the current fashion trend; everything about the cropped pants and high heels the customer wore screamed city girl. "Irrashaimase. What can I do for you?"

"Oh," the customer said. She seemed startled for a moment before she took off her oversized sunglasses. Blonde hair and blue eyes, yet she didn't seem like a foreigner. "I'm sorry, I was looking for Mouri-san."

"I am Mouri-san," Shin said. His eyes twinkled when her face scrunched up in confusion. "I'm her son. My mother usually has the weekends off. Is there something I can help you with?"

The customer leaned back, pressing her sunglasses against her lip. Shin was slightly amused; it was as if she were determining his worth compared to his mother. Shin, of course, would never try to claim his talent was anywhere near his mother's, despite what she said. Her skill was in a league of its own.

"Well," the customer said, tilting her head. A smile broke out on her face, instantly brightening the shop. "Mouri-san called me and told me to stop by when I was in the area. She said she had a tea set that I'd be interested in."

"Let me check for you." It wasn't uncommon for his mother to regularly update frequent customers, but Shin had never seen his woman before in his life. He flipped through the book of orders by the counter, ignoring the chicken scratch that was Ryuusuke's handwriting. Finally he found what he was looking for; he tried to hide his surprise. The tea set listed was one of his own creations. He had no idea that his mother was thinking of selling it. "Aino Minako-san?"

"That's me," the blonde chirped. Her smile widened. "So?"

Shin wondered why the name sounded so familiar. He stored the thought for later. "I'm afraid so," he said with a slight smile. "I apologize, you were probably expecting something more sophisticated. It's actually this tea set on display, right here."

Minako seemed to ignore him as she stared right at the tea set. She tilted her head left and right, a frown puckering up her lips. Shin watched her, a bit unnerved. Despite her easy-going attitude, she seemed like she knew exactly what she was looking for. He wondered why, of all tea sets, his mother had chosen his. There was nothing special about it; it had just been something he had made with extra supplies.

"Well," she said finally with a shrug. "It looks cool."

Shin blinked. "Cool?"

"Yeah, I guess." Minako straightened up from her lean. "So, how much?"

Shin blinked again. "You're sure?"

"Well, yeah. I trust your mother." She leaned forward, nudging his chest conspiratorially. "Though she did say I could get a secret special buyer's discount."

"Hmm," Shin said playfully, glancing down at the book. "I don't see anything like that here."

Minako snapped her fingers. "Darn! Guess it's gonna have to go on the card."

"Here, let me wrap it up and write the bill for you." Shin took the tea set from its stand, making his way back to the counter. With practiced hands, he wrapped the tea set into a neat little package. He set it aside, pulling out the necessary papers for the receipt. Minako had her credit card ready.

_Aino Minako_, he read. Again he had the feeling that he should have recognized the name. Shin quickly processed the purchase before handing the card back.

"Alright, Aino-san, you're all set. Please make sure to be extra careful. Our pottery is fragile. I would recommend cushioning it for travel."

"Uh," Minako said, blinking. She smiled suddenly, looking embarrassed. "You mean I can't just hook it over my bike handle?"

Shin shook his head, allowing himself to laugh politely. "I'm afraid not. I assume you're staying at the local inn down the street? If you can wait a few minutes to check in the back, I can carry the set for you."

He found out a lot about her on the walk to the nearby hotel. For one, he was right—she was indeed a tourist, a city girl from Tokyo. She spent a lot of her free time travelling, though, and she couldn't resist stopping by Hagi on her journey to Okinawa.

And the blonde hair was natural. When he didn't look too surprised, he had to explain. "I have a friend who also has blonde hair."

"No way?" Minako looked genuinely surprised. They had arrived at the inn; she was chaining her bike to the rack. "Wow, what if your friend is a distant relative of mine?"

"Could be," Shin said. "Though you two are really different."

"I'm cuter, huh?"

Shin laughed as Minako dramatically struck a pose. "Of course you are," he said in good humor. She beamed at him.

"Well, thanks for the walk and talk," she said, hands clasped behind her.

"I included an instruction booklet on how to properly care for them," Shin said. He included care instructions for every customer, of course, but half of them paid no heed anyway. He had the feeling that maybe Aino wouldn't either. "Promise you'll be careful?"

"Hmm," Minako said, chin in hand. Her index finger scratched her cheek; suddenly she seemed mischievous. "Can't I just take you home with me, Shin-chan?"

Shin actually blushed. Since when was he the type to be flustered around overbearing female customers? He knew how to handle it when they hit on him; Sayoko even praised him once, saying that it was because of him that business was so great. "A—aino-san, you must be—"

"I'm just kidding!" she teased with a wink. "Lighten up! They'll be in good hands, don't worry."

Shin handed over the package, shaking his head. "If you ever need any repairs, though, don't hesitate to stop by."

"For sure!" Minako gave him a victory sign as she took the package. Then she quickly dug into her pocket, pulling out a rumpled card. "Here, give this to your mother for me. If she ever needs anything, that's my direct line."

Shin glance down at the card oddly. "Of course," he said faintly, but he wondered what on earth his mother would need from a girl from Tokyo.

"Thanks, Mouri!"

Shin waved to her as she turned on her heel and disappeared into the inn. He wondered if all city girls were like that. It had honestly been awhile since he'd been anywhere lively, he thought. The last trip he took was a year ago, and that was to Seiji's dojo, for Tanabata. Even then, they decided to stay at the dojo and watch the celebrations from afar.

"Funny girl," he said to himself. He started to make his way back to the shop, greeting a few neighbors on the way. Ryuusuke was in the shop when he returned; he was busy with a customer, and Shin quickly grabbed his apron.

His phone started ringing. Distracted, and with his apron hanging haphazardly over one arm, he picked up.

"This is Mouri."

"Shin," Shuu said, his voice grave. Shin shook away all other thoughts at once. "How fast can you get to Yokohama?"

x

"Isn't this just off the charts?"

Touma wondered if his father meant that literally, as every single point on the graph he was looking at lay beyond the paper. He chose not to reply, instead turning the pages of one of his student's lab reports. There were already several red marks gracing the cover; Touma sighed, picking up his pen again and drawing a line through the first sentence he read. Really, he didn't ask for much. Simple labs required simple reports.

"Touma, look at this!"

"Sure, sure," Touma muttered, finishing up the page. He wrote a few comments on the bottom before he stood up. He glanced around to find his father tinkering with one of the analyzers. An alarm was going off; Ginichirou ignored it as he tried to fix the problem. When Touma got closer, he realized that the noise was actually coming from the printer.

"Oh shut up," Genichirou grumbled, having finally shoved a stack of blank paper in the printer. He hit the reset button and shook his head. "We should just have all this in the computer, what's the need for paper?"

"Backup," Touma said absently, taking the sheets that printed out. He paged through them listlessly, his curiosity piqued. His father was right—these points _were_ off the charts.

The door opened. Touma heard heels clicking against the floor before a quiet voice spoke. "Hashiba-sensei?"

"Oh, Mizuno-chan!"

Touma found his body reacting before his mind could; he furrowed his brow before he purposely decided to ignore the newcomer that strode into the room. He turned another page, jotting down a few notes off to the side.

"Hashiba-san, hello," a voice hesitantly greeted him. Touma willed himself to look neutral before he turned in his chair. The first things he saw were heels and a short skirt the color of his mother's favorite flower. He fought against his sigh and raised his eyes past the potential lab hazard.

"Mizuno," he said with a nod. Then he turned back to his papers, shuffling them together. "You mind if I take these with me?"

If the blue-haired woman was at all concerned with his cold greeting, she didn't know it. Perhaps it was that she didn't have the chance to; Genichirou grabbed her arm almost immediately after she had said hello to his son. "These data points are awfully strange," he was saying. He grabbed the sheets right out of Touma's hands. "For the past month, they've been in range—except for these outliers, I spilled coffee on the analyzer, but that's all fixed now—"

"Oyaji," Touma said, slightly exasperated.

"—but if you can see here, this point is _way_ off," Genichirou said, flailing his arms a bit. "Which, normally, I wouldn't care about, but look at _this_ one."

Ami peered over his shoulder, glancing down at the page. Touma could help but gauge her reaction. On the sheet were data points, scattered over the course of a year. Not factoring in his father's blunder, most of the points were within the accepted range; there was one exception from two months ago. And, as his father had said, they normally wouldn't have cared. Outliers were outliers.

On the fifth of last month, however, another point was off, with the exact same numbers. Coincidence, they had thought back then—until the two of them came into the lab this morning to find a third point out at the same coordinates.

"What is this analyzer used for?" Ami asked, her eyes slowly scanning the numbers. Genichirou frowned.

"That's the thing!" he said, grabbing the sheet and waving it in the air. "We've been monitoring the decomposition rate of that meteorite. So far it's been surprisingly steady—_except for these days_."

"That meteorite?" Ami looked up in thought before a scandalized expression crossed her face. "You can't mean that meteorite that went missing from the Quantum Department—"

"Technicalities," Genichirou said, waving her concern away. Touma rolled his eyes. A year ago, a meteorite—very small in size, hardly anything to get worked up about—had been donated to the university's Quantum Physics Department. The donator had explicitly stated that it had been in the family for nearly fifteen years, originally belonging to her father, but her father recently passed away and wished for the university to have it.

Genichirou, however, was curious as to how a meteorite from fifteen years ago was still in such fine form; he had blabbered on and on for so long that Touma stole it to shut him up.

"Hashiba-sensei," Ami said with a stern expression. "You know I have to report this."

"I didn't take it," Genichirou said, sliding his eyes to his son. Ami sighed, giving Touma the barest of glances before she turned back to the sheets. "Anyway, Mizuno-chan, what do you think?"

"I study virology," Ami reminded Genichirou for the millionth time. Genichirou waved that idea away.

"It's not the subject, it's the mind. Here, sit down—want a coffee? Touma, get her a coffee."

Touma couldn't help but scowl as he went to get her a mug. Ami looked at him almost apologetically before she turned to the pages. She placed a finger on each data point, physically tracing them. Genichirou was still rambling about something or other; when Touma came back, he saw that she focusing intently on one page.

"Strange," Ami said so quietly that it almost came across as a murmur. Touma's ears, however, keenly picked up on it.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Ami responded. She smiled sweetly at Touma; while it would have worked on any other unassuming man, Touma was like a rock. He merely raised an eyebrow.

"If you know something, Mizuno—"

"Do you know something?" Genichirou asked suddenly, turning to Ami with fascinated eyes. A large scroll of paper dangled over his shoulder. "Mizuno-chan, you're so bright, surely you must know something!"

Ami blinked when the professor grabbed her hands and held them in front of him. She actually blushed. Touma furrowed his brow, standing up. "Oyaji..."

"Hashiba-sensei, if you don't mind, I do have to check on my cultures. If I could get back to you later—"

"I'll email you!" Genichiou said, nodding enthusiastically. "Touma and I will try to organize everything first."

Ami bowed, taking her chance to flee. Touma saw her eyes trail on the data points quickly, a frown on her face. Then she turned around and made her way out, the clicking of her heels echoing throughout the lab.

"Say, Touma," Genichirou said. Touma followed his father's line of sight and almost choked on his next sip of coffee.

"O—oyaji—"

"Hm?" Genichirou glanced away from Ami's rear end. His expression was entirely innocent. "I was just thinking, isn't your mother's birthday coming up soon?"

"What?" Touma said weakly, still reeling from catching his father in ogling a woman nearly forty years younger than him.

"Does she still like irises?"

Touma's heart slowed to a considerably more normal rate. Dear lord, so he was just looking at the color of her skirt, he thought as he shook his head. His father had such a one-track mind. He picked up the papers he had dropped, shuffling them. "Yeah, I think so."

"Ah."

Touma glanced at his father, pushing his glasses to the top of his head. "Want to go to the flower shop after this?"

"Hmm, don't think I can." For a split second, Genichirou looked regretful. Then he flashed his son a wild grin. "But I know you can take care of it, right, Touma-kun?"

"Yeah, yeah," Touma replied, waving the comment away. He put the papers back on the desk. Reaching for his mug of coffee, he sighed. The day had just started, and it was already proving to be more troublesome than he would have liked.

x

Ryo woke up with an ache in his heart. Byakuen was nudging him.

"Shh," Ryo said, turning over and burying his face in his pillow. His eyes eventually closed, and he drifted off back to sleep, ignoring the buzzing of his phone.

x

"Auntie, are you okay?"

Rei blinked, shifting her attention away from the receding skyline and to the little boy tugging on her hakama. A small smile curved the side of her lip. "Of course I am," she said.

Instead of looking relieved, however, the boy rolled his eyes. "Jeez, auntie, with an accent like that, I would have thought you said you needed a poop."

Her smile fell. She reached over and bopped the boy on the head, scowling. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

"Yowch!" the boy screeched, rubbing his head. Tears were gathered in the corner of his eyes. "You sure you're not one of those demons you exorcise, auntie?"

"You wanna get hit again?" Rei said, eyebrow and fist raised. The boy cowered.

"I was just kidding! Man, learn to take a joke." The boy continued to rub his head, cautiously watching Rei. "Ma says dinner is ready."

"I'll be there in a bit," Rei replied, stooping down to pick up the straw basket at her feet. The boy nodded, retreating, leaving her in the rice paddy. She watched him go, her expression becoming stern. For a moment, all she could see was the boy's hard work ethic. He had been in the paddy without break since noon, and the sun was setting now. Maybe she was just tired, she thought. Maybe she was imagining things.

Then she felt it again—a stab of raw energy. It was quick, but it spilled over the land so strongly that she clenched her fists. Her breath came sharp and she closed her eyes. What was that abysmal feeling?

"Do you need help?"

Rei didn't jump, but a chill ran down her spine. She turned to scowl at the man that had snuck up on her. "Koma," she said, all but shoving the basket into his arms, "be a gentleman and carry this, will you?"

Koma Toshitada was all smiles as he held out his arms. "It would be my pleasure," he said smoothly. "You've worked hard today."

"Hmph." Rei turned her back on him, shouldering her pack. She could feel his smile still on her and she tried to ignore it. Toshitada was the other volunteer assigned to the small village in Phrao, and she learned quickly that she wanted nothing to do with him. He was knowledgeable, that was true; there was just something about him that was, for a lack of a better word, icy. The villagers all adored him, and he was quite endearing to them, but Rei couldn't help but feel that there was more under his well-mannered attitude.

Rei suddenly stopped, feeling her breath catch. A hot feeling flooded her, spreading from her insides to the tips of her fingers. She forced it to stop before she burned down the field; the feeling yielded, but only slightly. Carefully, she unstrapped the pack from her back and set it down.

"Hino-dono?"

"It's a little heavy," Rei said quietly as she flexed her fingers. She glanced away from Toshitada's all-knowing eyes, staring instead at the ground. Something was actively probing her, challenging her. How was she supposed to inconspicuously pinpoint what that thing was with Toshitada lingering around? Anyone else she would have no problem, but Toshitada was a priest. He no doubt was as spiritually aware as she was.

"Would you like me to carry that too?"

Rei steeled her emotions, turning to finally face him. She was surprised to see the concern in his gaze. For the villagers, maybe, but her? "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Drop it." Rei picked the pack back up, slinging it over her shoulders. There was still the ominous aura lingering in the air, trying to call out her powers. She swallowed, hurrying past Toshitada. The worry in his expression only deepened, but he said nothing of it, following after her quietly.

When they were out of the fields, Rei took a brief, quick moment to glance back over her shoulder. Past Toshitada, the sky was brilliant carmine. It shadowed his face, casting a mysterious look over him. She pushed all thoughts of her fellow volunteer from her mind, focusing instead on the skyline. The feeling of fire still lingered inside her, but the overwhelming desire to counterattack was gone.

"Hino-dono."

Rei met Toshitada's gaze reluctantly. He looked like he knew—but knew what? Before she could say anything, however, there came a beeping from the pocket of her robes. "Oh," Rei said with a frown. Out of all the times to go off... "That's my—phone."

His eyebrows shot up. He balanced his baskets under his arm and held out his free hand. "Shall I take your pack while you take the call?"

Rei pursed her lips; she needed to take the call, but she really didn't want to rely on him. He took her silence as a yes and grabbed a hold of the pack. Rei had half a mind to shove him, but he had already started walking towards the house's entrance.

Once she was sure he disappeared into the little home, she fished her communicator out of her pocket. She made her way back to the field; everyone would be eating dinner with their families now. Rei flipped the communicator open, and at once Ami started speaking.

"Rei, I need you to do a fire reading."

"On what?" Rei's mind reeled. Ami's face was clear through the tiny screen, and she looked bothered. She was shaking her head, typing away at something off screen.

"Anything. Everything. Have you noticed anything strange? There's this analyzer here that's been monitoring a meteorite and it's been going off weirdly, Hashiba-sensei just asked me to look at the points but he doesn't really think much of it—but his son, I wonder..." Ami trailed off, pausing completely. Then she blinked. "Oh, right, anyway, the points looked really familiar to me and I'm thinking it might have something to do with Usagi."

"Ami."

"Yes?"

"Slow down."

Ami blushed. She looked back at her communicator, genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry! It's just that it's really really strange. I know it might sound like jibber jabber, but I think there's something here."

"What's wrong with Usagi?" Rei asked, feeling her stomach twist. While she was here in Thailand, there was something wrong with Usagi? Ami bit her lip.

"Nothing much," she said quietly. "She hasn't said anything. No one's said anything. I don't think Mamoru even notices."

"Ami..."

"There are certain days where she's—I think her powers are changing," Ami said, her expression bothered. "I can't really tell. But they're changing. It's hardly noticeable, and the only reason I realized it was because I was doing a scan of her when she was pregnant with Kousagi. I think... I'm thinking that her power fluctuates with the phases of the moon."

Rei's eyebrows shot up. "Please elaborate."

"It's nothing much," Ami reiterated. "Just a slight dip when there's a New Moon, and a spike when there's a Full Moon."

"You're kidding."

"Rei—"

"She's like a werewolf?" Rei shook her head, sighing. She felt her heart rate slow back to normal. "But it's nothing dangerous?"

"No," Ami confirmed. "I think it's just preparation for Crystal Tokyo. Whenever that will happen."

Rei didn't miss the slight sarcasm that edged its way into her voice. She didn't blame her friend as she shared the same sentiments. Crystal Tokyo was supposed to come around when Usagi was twenty-two; they were now twenty-six, well on their way on their career paths. Usagi didn't even hesitate in starting a family. "Crystal Tokyo will come when it comes," she had said when Minako voiced her concern. "Just live your lives happily. That's all I want."

"Rei," Ami said, cutting into her thoughts. "There's something else. Makoto said that Yokohama was attacked by a large bird."

"A bird?" Rei's eyes narrowed.

"It was unworldly. And she said they had help. Those guys that saved Shinjuku."

"Those armor guys?"

"Samurai Troopers," said a voice from right behind her, and Rei leapt to her feet, her heart in her throat. She stared at Toshitada, whose expression was as calm as ever. He picked up the communicator she had dropped, looking it over curiously. Ami's face peered back at him, mouth agape.

"Koma—"

"Hino-dono," he said, turning his intrigued gaze onto her. And then he smiled that infuriatingly calm smile of his. "I believe we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

**notes** standard disclaimers apply.

halloooo there! :D a little background information on this fic: this came into fruition when i was halfway through writing _blink_. there are a lot of things that i wanted to include in _blink_ but couldn't simply because it would be too much; i wanted to keep _blink_ more lighthearted and fun, and there were soooo many plot bunnies but i couldn't include them bc it would have totally dragged it down. with that said, this will be a bit darker (i will say, though, it'll be quite an exercise to keep the humor to a minimum, especially with usagi T_T)

anyway, this all takes place ten years after Sailor Moon Stars, fifteen years after YST TV show. updates might be a bit sporadic (but i'll try!)

thanks for reading! xoxo


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